Sir, – It seems that having a pension puts an individual at serious risk of selective amnesia. Eugene Hayes (October 4th) laments that “our pension funds are being robbed by the State”. What he forgets is that his pension fund was lavishly topped up by the same State with generous tax breaks of up to 42 per cent. State interference in pension acquisition was perfectly allowable when it benefited holders, but seems intolerable when they are asked to give something back. Exceptional times indeed. – Yours, etc,